Pivoted arm cap gripper



April 25, 1950 H. H. HOWELL PIVOTED ARM CAP GRIPPER Filed May 28, 1945 m m m m Patented Apr. 25, 1950 NITED STATES th i F F! CE Application May 28, 1945, Serial No. 596,161

This invention relates to improvements in jar and bottle openers and refers more particularly'to container openers of the type having gripping jaws simultaneously moved into and out of gripping relationship with the top to be removed.

The device may be used to remove tops of different types such as screw tops, tops having a bayonet type joint with containers or the like from containers of varying sizes. It is desirable in openers of this character to provide a device to firmly grip the top so the operator may manually manipulate either the container or opener to remove the top.

One object of this invention is to provide a rugged opener capable of positively gripping tops of varying size and character.

Another object is to provide an opener adapted to be mounted on a wall or other rigid support so an individual may use both hands for gripping and turning the container to be opened.

Other and further objects will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of the instant specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views,

Fig. 1 is a top plan of an opener embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows and shows the device in an operative position on a bottle top, and

Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the opener on a large mouth jar.

Referring to the drawings the opener comprises an annular base ill with a support Hi slidably engageable with a dovetail groove in wall bracket M. Three pairs of arcuate arms I2 are fastened at one end to the base, the other ends converge to form a bearing l3 axially aligned with the axis of base 16. A worm i4 is journaled in bearing l3 and is rotated by a handle 15. Meshing with worm l4 are gear segments Ilia cut in the edges of jaw members It. These jaw members are pivoted between the pairs of arms I2 on pivot pins H.

The gripping jaws are thus synchronized in their movement by the worm so the gripping portions of an effective number of the jaws grip the top to be removed. Thus, when handle is rotated the segments 160, are rocked on their pivots to converge or diverge jaws l6, depending on the direction of rotation of the handle. Rotation of the handle in one direction may be limited by abutment of the jaws against base Ill and in 2 Claims. (Cl. 81 33) 2 the other "direction by termination of the toothed area of the gear segments.

In operation the device is slid into the groove of bracket I mounted on the wall or other suitable support. Handle !5 is then actuated in the direction to separate the jaws or move them into a divergent relationship. The upper end of the container which is to be opened is then inserted into the base l0 and handle 15 is rotated in the opposite direction to move the jaws together or into gripping relationship with the top. Sufiicient rotative pressure is applied to the handle to cause the jaws to firmly engage the top. The operator may then grip the container rotating or rocking it in a direction to loosen the top. When a screw top is loosened it may be removed from the container by continued manual rotation of the receptacle or the top may be released from the jaws and the loosened top removed in the usual manner. When the opener is not in use it may be removed from the bracket and stored.

It will be seen that the objects of this invention have been accomplished. There has been provided a device having gripping jaws for positively holding a top against turning, the jaws rigidly holding the top while the container is rotated or rocked. The arrangement is such that the device may be used to open containers of varying types and sizes. The construction is such that the gripping jaws are synchronously moved into and out of gripping relationship with the top to be removed by rotation of one handle.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombin-ations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A container opener comprising an annular base, a bracket supporting said annular base immovably in a horizontal plane, three elongated arms fastened to spaced points on the upper side of said annular base, said arms being arched upwardly and inwardly so they converge at a point over the center of the base, a rotatable worm journaled to said arms at their point of convergence, the axis of the worm being vertical, each said arm having pivoted thereto at a point intermediate its ends a worm gear segment meshed with said worm, a jaw member at the lower end of each gear segment, and a handle for rotating said worm to move said jaw members simultaneously into and out of gripping relationship with a container top positioned in the space encircled by said annular base.

2. A container opener comprising an annular base, a bracket supporting said base immovably in a horizontal plane, three pairs of arms fastened to spaced points on the upper side of the annular 15 base, the arms of each pair being parallel and the difierent pairs being arched upwardly and inwardly so they converge at a point over the center of the base, a rotatable worm journalled to said arms at their point of convergence, the axis of the worm being vertical, each pair of arms having pivotally mounted therebetween at a point intermediate the ends of such arms a worm gear segment meshed with said worm, a jaw member at the lower end of each gear segment, and a handle for rotating said worm to move said jaw members simultaneously into and out of gripping relationship with a container top positioned in the space encircled by said annular base.

HARRY I-I. HOWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 225,000 Dickson Mar. 2, 1880 925,745 Booth June 22, 1909 941,831 Widmann Nov. 30, 1909 974,725 Trambley Nov. 1, 1910 20 1,043,400 Collison Nov. 5, 1912 1,953,412 Killman Apr. 3, 1934 2,303,560 Knight Dec. 1, 1942 

